Japanese Medals of WW1 and WW2

"In 1900, the Japanese Govt sent an infantry Division to join the Allied Relief Expedition to free the besieged foreigners in Peking.

The Imperial Edict No 142 of 21 April 1901 promulgated a commemorative award for the campaign. Theoretically it should have been awarded to foreigners too, but no case of such award is recorded. The award is bestowed to armed forces personnel who saw active service both in Japan and China between 11 June and November of 1900.It is 30mm in diameter of coppered bronze, with a chrysanthemum crest, the "ho-o" (a peacock-like bird) and "war medal" characters in the obverse. The reverse has 11 characters that means "Great Japanese Empire Meiji 33rd year" in two horizontal lines.

Suspender bar has the four characters for "China Incident". Ribbon is 37mm.watered silk with 2mm. green borders and three 7mm white stripes separated by two 6mm. green stripes. Latter Replacement ribbons were often of unwatered silk.

1914-1920 War Medal

These medals were made to commemorate Japanese participation in World War I. Imperial Edict No. 203 of 6 November 1915 established this commemorative medal. The 1914-15 type was awarded to Japanese personnel who captured the German colony of Tsing-Tao and the German held Pacific islands in 1914-15.

The 1914-20 type was awarded to Japanese who participated in the 1917-18 actions of WWI where Japanese were present (the destroyer squadrons in the Mediterranean) and to those that disembarked in Siberia after the Bolshevik Revolution occupying Vladivostok until 1922.

Medal is 30mm in diameter, struck in blackened bronze. Obverse has crossed Army and Navy flags with chrysanthemum crest above and paulownia below. The reverse has seven characters meaning "Taisho 3rd-4th years war".

The bar has the usual four characters for "War Medal". Ribbon is of 37mm watered silk in dark blue with a 13mm white stripe at the center.

Case is wooden with the name of the medal stamped in black characters.


Victory medal obverse	Victory medal reverse

Red Cross Order of Merit with Life Membership Rosette

China Incident Medal

1931/34 Incident Medal

Tashio Enthronement Commemorative Medal

Horohito Enthronement Medal

2,600th National Anniversary Commemorative Medal

Order of the Rising Sun 8th Class

Order of the Sacred Treasure 8th Class

1914-20 War Medal

Tashio Enthronement (1915) Commemorative Medal

China Incident Medal

1904-5 (RUSSIAN) WAR MEDAL When Russia moved into Korea and occupied Manchuria, the Japanese government reacted by attacking Russian warships at Chemulpo and Port Arthur (February 8th, 1904). The Japanese Navy blockaded Russia's Asiatic ports. In addition, ground troops drove the Russians out of Korea while another Japanese Army fought its way up the Liaotung peninsula.

On May 27th and 28th 1905, Admiral Togo destroyed the Russian Baltic fleet in two separate engagements in the straits of Tsushima. The United States got involved and managed to settle a truce ending with Japan receiving half of Sakhalin, bases in Liaotung and recognition of Japan's rights in Korea.


A Japanese medallion celebrating the Treaty of Versailles (officially ending WW1). The obverse shows a winged "Victory" (which is unusual in Japanese culture, they normally do not have female figures on heraldry ) and the reverse shows the stylized flags of Britain, USA, Japan, Italy and France (and because the design is identical it can also represent Belgium).